Musical notation



F. TAFT.

MUSICAL NOTATION.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 13, 1919.

Patented ont. 19,1920.

A NORA/EVS ,UNITED STATES f AfrENT .QFFICe FRANK rnr'nbr Moivticnniia, NEW JERSEY,

i rifiusrcnnivomnrioir.

To all/whom# may concern:

Be it known that I,- FRANK TAFT, 'a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex'and State of NewJersey, have `invented a new and Improved Musicah Notation, of whichV the following is a full, clear, and exact description.'

The invention relates to musical notations such as shown and described in the application for Letters Patent of the United States,

No. 240,963, filed by me on June 20, 1918. The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved musical notation arranged to enable a person unfamiliar with the usual written or printed score of a musical composition to readily located the keys and execute vthe composition on a piano, organ or other keyboard controlled musical instrument. Another object is to permit of representing notes oflower pitch after notes of higher pitch in the regular order'in which they are played without danger of confusing the player. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims. Y A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying `drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of'reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

j' Figure lis a fragment ofa sheet of music printed in accordance withy my invention; and Y i Fig. 2 is another fragment ofthe saine..l On the sheetlO-is printed a representation 11 of the keyboard of a piano, organ or simillar musical instrument and associatedwith this representation `11 are indicating means 12 indicating the severaloctaves ofthe keyboard. j The third and fourth octaves of the` `keyboard representation 11 are provided .with shading or vdistinguishiiig lines tovisu-V `ally distinguish the third octave from thesecond octave and to visually distinguish the fourthoctave from the fifthoctave.` ,'lfrhe representation llpreferablyforms the heading ofthe sheet 10 and this heading .provided with explanatory matter foruusing the musical notation. The score of a musical composition isprinted on the sheet 10 and the melody of the musical compositionis represented by spaced representations 15 of portions of the keyboard representation 11,

`Speiciicato'ii.of Letters Patent. A

`iaateiitmi oet. i9', 1920.

\ Appncatign, flied Maren i3, i919, L' Yserial No. 282,340.

Y each representation-15 preferably comprising fourv whitev keysl and three-black keys, as shown in Fig. 1; but three white keys and three blackA keys onl may be used, as indicated in Fig. 2. J ith each representation 15 is associated agiven indicating mark 16, preferably'in the .form of a-dot appearing on the particular key to be played. Thus if the dot 16 is on a whitekey it appears in colors, and if the dot appears on a black keyV it appears in white as will be understood by reference to the last note in the third bar of Fig. 1 and the last note in Fig. 2. With theserepresentations 15 is associated an octave indicating means 17, preferably inthe form of a numeral corresponding tothe cor-l responding octave indicating means 12 assoc'iated with the whole keyboard representation 11. It will benoticedthat by this arrangement the performer by looking at a representation 15`can `readily locate the particular key to beplayedand the particular octave containing this key. Associated with eachrepresentation 15 isa character'18 of usual construction and indicating the time duration of the note to beplay'ed.' The words 20 of the Vmelody are2 `preferably printed directly below the representations 15 with the syllables in proper, relation to nthe ably embraces seven white keys and five 'black keys, as shown in Fig. 1, or seven white 'keys and four-black keys, as indicated in Figy2. A single accompaniment representation-is associated with all the representations of notes of the rmelody with Lwhicha single chord of the acconipanimentis played,

and sundry lof the keysrof this'representavtion 25 are'provided withfkey-in'dicating means 26.l in the fornrof blackand white dotsfsimilartothe vones above describedin i ,Y

referencel to the nielodyJThe several marked' keys of each'keyboard portion 25 represent Y achord and indicateto the player; that they arel to be played simultaneously,fa1id` are* to be sustained while the severalfnotes offthe n melody which have their representations "associated` with said keyboardportion 25 of the accompaniment, are being played. *Each key representation 25 has associated `therewith coperativefindicatiiig means' 27 ,1 pref- @muy in' the. faire Of .humemlswerlresreedi ing toY the octave indicating means 12'assoelated with the'whole keyboard representation 11. AVThus theirstchord'shown in Fig. 1 discloses three black dots and the numeralsl 3, 3,4, thus indicating that keys' of the third andfourth octaves have to be played, and

the white keys to .be played are indicated by the black dots on the jcorrespondi'ng keys.

It is understood that thefabove .described system is carried out throughout the sheet of music, with the chords printed in proper relation to the melody and directly below the same sothat vthe performer plays the melody and accompaniment .keys in the proper relation. l Y

The ordinary musical notation 30 is preferably printed on the sheet 1() directly below v,my improved notation but this ordinary notation 30 may be omitted.

When in use the sheet 10 is placed behind the keyboard, and the player Vmay readily Y locate the thirdand fourth octaves upon the [to a melody and accompanimentas the nota- Y tion can be readily used tor other musicalV scores including accompaniments tor the voice or forviolins or other musical instruments.'

`Having claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Y J 1.Y A sheet kbearingla passage of music represented by a'series of spaced pictorial rep- .resentationsof portions ofA the tone produc- -inginstrumentalities to be employed for producing the passage'of music, said repre- Sentations each embracing only such a portion fof .the tone reproducing instrumentalities contained in asingle octave as is necessaryto properly identify the instrumentali- .ties represented, key indicating means asso- Y .ciatedwith the 'saidpictorial representations v:indicating'the individual tone provducingfinstrumentalities to be played, and octave indicating'means Vassociatedwith'the said pictorial repsesentations indicating the y octavesof the tone producing instrumentalities represented by Vsaid pictorial representationsV of portions ofthe' tone producing 1nscrumentalities."

12. A sheet bearing' afpassage of music Y Vrepresented `by a series Vof spaced pictorial representations for the melody and a series :of l.spaced pictorial representations Voi*Y the .accompaniment,Y each Vpictorial representaio'lonfind'catinga division lof the keyboard 'j of a "musical instrument tolbenmanipulated thus described my invention, I

forV producing the passage of music, each :representation having associated therewith a key' indicating Vmark indicating the particuflar keyY to be played, and octave locating marksl associated with the-.said'representation indicating the octaves of the keyboard.

" "3. A sheet bearing a passage of music represented byV spaced pictorial representations of portions of a keyboardv of amusical instrument, each representation representing a pluralityof keys, a playing mark associated Vwithk one of the said keys'of each representation. indicating the particular key to be played for producing the corresponding note of a melody, the said sheet'having printed thereon a representation .of a wholefkeyboard and having associated therewith in cating Vmeans indicating the octaves ofthe Y keyboard.V

4. A sheet bearing a .passage of music represented by spaced pictorial repre'sentatio'ns of portions oit a keyboard of Va musical instrument, each representation representing aYV plurality of keys, a series of playing marks associated with eachA of the said represen-V tations, the playing marks of aseries indithe -saidsheet having printed thereon a representation cfa whole keyboard fand having` associated-therewith indicating means indicating the octaves of the keyboard. i

5. A 'sheet bearing a passage of music represented by spaced pictorial representations of `portionsfof a-.keyboardV of a musical instrument, each representation representing a plurality of keys, a playing mark asso- .ciate'dwith one of the said keys of each representation indicating theV particular ke to. be played for .producing the correspon ing note of amelody, the said sheet having printed thereon a :representation of a whole keyboard and having `associated therewith cating'the individual keys to be playedV for 'producing a'chord of the accompaniment,

indicating means indicatingthe octaves of the keyboard, and a single octave indicating meansfassociatedwith each of the said representations of portions ofthe keyboard Vand corresponding to the corresponding octave indicating` means on the said whole keyboard representation.

represented by spaced Vpictorial representations of. portions of a keyboard of a musical VVinstrument, eachj representation represent'- ing a plurality of keys,fa series of playing marksv associated withV each ofthe said.

laying marks 'ofaA-Y-j' representations, thev A series indicating the individual keys to "be .GQ A Vsheet bearing Va passage 'off played tor producing afchord ofthe accompaniment, the said Qsheet having printed thereon a representation of a vwhole 1156.3.V

board and: having associated therewith indicating means indicatingthe ovtaves of the IVV .Y c

keyboard, and .octave indicating meansvassociated .with each of the said representationsV 'of portions-of' the keyboard and correspondlaoY ing toV corresponding octave indicating means. on the said Whole keyboard representation.

7. A sheet bearing a ducing instrumentalities to be employed for producing the passage of music, key indicating means associated with the said pictorial representations indicating the individual tone producing instrumentalities to be played, said sheet having thereon a representation of vall the tone producing instrumentalities which may be employed, and having .associated therewith indicating means indicating the octaves of the tone producing instrumentalities.

8. A sheet bearing a passage of music represented by a series of spaced pictorial representations of portions of the tone producing instrumentalities to be employed for producing the passage of music, key indicating means associated with the said pictorial representations indicating the individual tone producing instrumentalities to be played, said sheet having thereon a representation of all the tone producing instru-` mentalities which may be employed, and having associated therewith indicating means indicating the octaves of the tone producing instrumentalities, Vand a single octave indicating means associated with each of the Said representations of portions of the tone producing instrumentalities, and corresponding to the corresponding octave indicating means associated `with the representation oir all the tone producing instrumentalities which may be employed.

9. A sheet bearing a passage of music represented by two series of spaced pictorial A representationsV of portions of the tone producing instrumentalities to be employed for t passage of `music y Vrepresented by a series of spaced pictorial 'representations of portions of the tone proproducing the passage of music, one ofsaid A series being for the melody and one forthe accompaniment, .and key indicating means associated with the said pictorial representations indicating the individual tone producing instrumentalities to be played, the

representations indicating as many of the inment having associated therewith a' single representation of the accompanimentv series upon `which is indicated all said chord.

10. A sheet bearing a passage of `music represented by two series of spaced pictorial representations of portions of the tone producing-instrumentalities to be employed for producing the passage of music, one of said series being for the melody and Vone for the accompaniment, said representations each the notes of embracing only such'a portion of the tone i i reproducing instrumentalities contained in a single octave as is necessary to properly identify the instrumentalities represented, key indicating means associated .with the said pictorial representations indicating the individual tone producing instrumentalities to be played, and octave indicating means associated with the said pictorial representations indicating the octaves of the tone prov ducing instrumentalities represented by said pictorial representations of portions of the tone producing instrumentalities, the representations indicating as many of the individual notes of the melody as are accompanied by a single chord of the accompaniment having associated therewith a single representation of the accompaniment series upon which is indicated all the notes of said chord.

. FRANK Tara?. 

